Our universe’s pixels, in the sense that Terrile describes them, are the smallest possible units of space, time, volume and energy. They are so small that they cannot possibly be broken down into anything smaller. For reasons that we’re not smart enough to understand, the existence of these units means that our reality is finite and therefore computable.

We don’t. In fact, according to University of Oxford philosopher, Nick Bostrom, it’s far more likely that we are in a simulated reality than not. It’s simple statistics. If there are a potentially infinite number of simulated realities and just one real reality, the probability of ours being the real one is virtually zero.

If you’re still not convinced that we’re all living inside the Matrix, then theoretical physicist, James Gates, might be able to change your mind. The respected scientist claims to have found an error-correcting code in the theoretical mathematics that governs the universe. What makes his discovery truly bizarre is that the exact same code was already being used by the likes of Google to find and correct errors in data transmission. According to Gates, finding this code in a universe that is not computed would be “extremely unlikely”.

So there we have it. We’re all simulated so life is meaningless, right? Maybe not. Max Tegmark, a cosmologist from MIT, thinks that we can still find meaning in life: "If you're not sure, at the end of the night, whether you're actually simulated or not, my advice to you is to go out there and live really interesting lives, and do unexpected things, so the simulators don't get bored and shut you down".

What do you think? Are we living inside a computer simulation? Let us know what you think in the comments and don't forget to follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Google+) to avoid missing out on new articles!

Are We All Living Inside a Computer Simulation? (It's More Likely Than You Think)
Reviewed by Christopher Christou
on
September 25, 2016
Rating: 5

Christopher Christou

Chris is a pop culture nerd from London. He wants to be a lawyer, but currently works in a toy shop. He has a master's degree in Criminology, a bachelor's in Law with Criminology and a Graduate Diploma in Law. His best friend is a Border Collie called Jax. You can find Chris on Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.